Tékumel: The Most Influential Setting You've Never Heard Of

Victor Raymond of the Tékumel Foundation was kind enough to sit down with us to discuss Professor M.A.R. Barker's monumental contributions to TTRPG history. Empire of the Petal Throne was one of the first RPG settings, and it is no longer out of print! Black Blade Publishing was hosting both the Tékumel Foundation as well as a huge assortment of amazing products from small indie publishers at North Texas RPG Con 2024. This was an excellent conversation and we will be speaking with Victor more in the future.
Foundation website:
www.tekumelfou...
Buy Tékumel Products online:
www.drivethrur...
Tékumel Podcast
tekumelpodcast...

[@blacklodgegames]

Keep comments clean and on topic, please, we are moderating.

[@StagRPG]

Well, that's incredible. What a treasure trove. And, you're right; never heard of it! Very cool share.

[@Thewonkee]

Big fan of everything going on here! An early test copy of "Egg of the World" Victor gifted me a while back has become one of my most treasured possessions, and I have good faith we will be seeing another blooming of Tekumel in the future! Kick ass video gents!

[@blacklodgegames]

Yours is coming soon too!

[@stephenclements6158]

Aaaaand now I need to run some Tekumel. Victor is such a good ambassador for the game.

[@natanaelalvarez4754]

TEKUMEL MAXXING, TEKUMEL GAMING!!! appreciate y'all covering this cool ass setting

[@aesculetum]

Excellent talk! Thanks for bringing it to us.

[@Motavian]

Hall of Blue Illumination is a fantasy Tèkumel podcast that I strongly recommend giving a listen even if you're just interested in the early days of the hobby.

[@DiscoBarbarian]

I'm hoping the guard duty job is literally hours of fucking nothing happening... lol like real guard duty.
sounds fun, never had a chance to play Tèkumel.

[@crapphone7744]

Didn't know the Tekumel foundation was still in operation.

[@blacklodgegames]

very much so

[@calvanoni5443]

I know of it, just didnt buy it back in the Dark Ages of Gaming. Have to catch this after the live show.

[@fabioveiga7301]

Man your channel is so fucking good, loving the videos

[@blacklodgegames]

Thanks!

[@jerryharris6342]

Great interview. I've read the old sourcebook and two of the novels. It's a fascinating, alien, adventuring world.

[@solomani5959]

I had this as a kid. Never actually played it but I stole from it copiously. The hex map locations was very evocative.

[@MeanderingMikesManCave]

I am looking forward to Egg of the World!

[@CoscarelliFan]

Tékumel is the greatest gaming world ever created. Spread the word....

[@HugoGlz56]

I wish this interview started with what Is Tekumel

[@blacklodgegames]

It was impromptu and we started rolling mid conversation. Victor will be on our Livestream to talk about Tekumel relatively soon

[@Dieter-Doeddel]

Would love to learn more as well. The name Tekumel rings a bell but a propper introduction would be really nice. Good work!

[@DareToWonder]

wait, are there gods in Tekumel?

[@agilemonk6305]

Yes.

[@TheOGGMsAdventures]

HA I have herd of it

[@blacklodgegames]

Our title seems to be working.

[@TheOGGMsAdventures]

@@blacklodgegames yes, yes

[@DareToWonder]

i'd play a Tekumel game. question is what system to use with it

[@blacklodgegames]

I think ACKS is perfect to build the setting within the rules

[@TheMinskyTerrorist]

I've heard of it though

[@mercuriusaulicus]

Who in RPGs hasn't heard of Tekumel and Empire of the Petal Throne? I wonder if you'll be discussing M.A.R. Barker's other "controversial" work?

[@blacklodgegames]

1. Zoomers and illiterates
2. No

[@DunkSouth]

Well I may be a Zoomer but I've heard of it now! 💢

[@DjDreamcastle]

This is my introduction to the setting. I started playing in 2008.

[@Iulian111]

Those that are not able to differentiate and separate the art from the artist are free to not engage with the works of the artist and adjacent products and it's perfectly fine. It becomes an issue only when they consider the people that do chose to engage with it are automatically agreeing with said views.

[@blacklodgegames]

@@Iulian111 well said, and Barker's controversial works are not reflected in Tekumel at all, thankfully.

[@crepusculum7472]

A word of caution for those without a playbook--Victor Raymond is a mega-Wokist.

[@blacklodgegames]

People make the same types of warnings about us from the other direction. It's all so tiresome, people can make up their own minds.

[@MarkSiefert]

I mean, who would have thought that an openly bisexual Indigenous American would not think much of systemic racism, homophobia, and other nonsense? What gall! /s

[@MarkSiefert]

BTW, Victor is a friend of mine. I don’t take kindly to those who talk shit about my friends, especially those who use the world “woke” as a pejorative.

[@Spud-pp3ew]

⁠@@MarkSiefertI can’t agree with you more, Mark.

[@Winter420]

​@blacklodgegames "about us" you aren't like us. You are an insufferable, squeaky voiced conservative